The just-in Davidoff Florida Selection 2018 cigar is a hit for sure. It’s got everything anyone could want. Spiciness? You got it. Glorious rolling smoke? Yup. Flawless construction? Indeed. The opportunity to add a new stick to your humidor that works for both Nicaraguan AND Dominican fans? Yes, please.

I paired this stick with water, but if I wasn’t smoking and writing this cigar review at work, I’d have aimed for a dark stout beer as my beverage of choice. I decided to employ a generous guillotine cut on my belicoso, totally on purpose, of course.

Initial impressions: An oily, veiny wrapper visually promises good things. The shiny copper double band is a beautiful contrast to the darker brown of the stick. The dry draw are pleasant notes of licorice and sweet tobacco. The stick took to the triple flame’s heat without issue.

First third: The first puffs of this stick are not bashful. Spice and sweet and earthiness let you know that you’ve got something special in your hand. The ash hung out for about an inch or so then colluded with my notoriously shaky hands to disengage on its own accord. Towards the end of the first third, the spice that was center stage begins to mellow allowing for the earthy sweetness to step up and compliment it.

Second third: As I smoke and type, I notice that when I pick it back up the cooler burn seems to expose more sweet notes that you won’t get when puffing frequently. The burn itself keeps nearly perfect when I smoke consistently. I’ve purged this stick as I smoke not from necessity but habit and I think it makes for a smoother smoking experience.

Last third: The medium-full strength of this stick really makes itself known toward the end and I’m suddenly very glad I had lunch first. A lot of the flavor have been on the tongue as I smoke but the licorice is not gone and the spicier notes are standing out. A small bit of the natural tobacco sweetness occasionally comes out as a subtle backdrop to the spice.

Ultimately, there was a unique element between the second and last third that I couldn’t quite put my finger on that I assume is the synergy of the Floridian Clermont tobacco. I look forward getting a box so I can try more of this stick and others like it that make use of this US leaf so I can become even more familiar with it.